December Rain
by Phayte
Summary: Lina left, and even she doesn't know why (set to song My December by Linkin Park)


*December Rain  
  
This is my December  
  
This is my time of the year  
  
This is my December  
  
This is all so clear  
  
This is my December  
  
This is my snow covered home  
  
This is my December  
  
This is me alone*  
  
p  
  
Lina sat on her little bed in the middle of her room, looking out the window, in the corner of a little house, in the middle of a small little merchant village known as Zephilia. She rolled her eyes as she watched the snow fall soundlessly on the ground, the silence drove her insane. The  
  
silence made her think to much, made her see clearly things she had misjudged before. Lina had never liked to be alone, it was so quiet, cold in a way. No one was home, she knew where her sister was, at that little restaurant/inn before the gates of the town. Her mind wandered, the threshold of Zephilia wasn't all that spectacular, just simple gates that seemed like they'd be more at home guarding an estate of a lower-class noble.  
  
p  
  
Anyway, back to the sulking, youngest Inverse, far from the gates was where her family lived, one of the wealthier class of Zephilia, owning a chunk of land beholden of some of the best vineyards in the small village. Despite all this, Lina was bored. She had received no summons from her sister, no news that this little village is in impending doom, in fact, she didn't know why she was back. It was just, the snow started to fall, and, it seemed like things were just, over. She didn't know what these feelings had stemmed from, but that night, the official night of the first snowfall of the season of winter, Lina just felt alone, her heart as barren as the  
  
abandoned woods. Now, she was here, she just left that night, walking, until she came here, home. She couldn't exactly say she missed that old life. Old, it seemed so odd to say so but it was old now, or at least she thought. No, somehow she couldn't bring herself to miss it.  
  
"All this snow, the cold, it all just happened at once," Lina muttered to herself, never changing her gaze, not looking at anything, yet taking it all in, her eyes barren of emotion, "like the fire has been snuffed out. I think I want the fire back." p  
  
~*~ p In a small inn, Luna Inverse sighed exhausted, a man had entered the dining area after renting a room and made it his personal mission to consume all that the little haven had to offer for food. And what had he done when he was finished? Well, proceeded to have a little bit of wine, then retire to his room. Luna had never seen anything like it, the man was handsome, no doubt had women tripping over themselves simply to smile for him [least, they did in this town, she'd had to ask many ladies to leave since he arrived] But he was oblivious to it. Luna could sense something about him, he was blissfully ignorant, she could tell that just by his behavior, but there was something he lost. Question was, why venture all the way out here to find it? It was true, Zephilia was extremely famous for harvesting the best grapes for wines, but he was a mercenary and this town had no grudge against anyone to hire a merc. And what did a merc have to lose anyway? Shrugging, Luna made one more decision, that whatever the blonde haired, blue eyed mercenary lost, had to be close to him because that grim expression just did not, for some reason, fit on his face.  
  
p  
  
"Lina, you always bring trouble with you. You're such a pain."  
  
p  
  
*And I  
  
Just wish that  
  
I didn't feel  
  
Like there was  
  
Something I missed  
  
And I  
  
Take back all  
  
The things I said  
  
To make you  
  
Feel like that  
  
And I  
  
Just wish that  
  
I didn't feel  
  
Like there was  
  
Something I missed  
  
And I  
  
Take back all the  
  
Things I said to you*  
  
p  
  
Gourry sat on the bed, in the middle of the little room he rented, not quite in the middle of the inn he was at. He shivered, it was cold, snowing outside and he didn't like the way that waitress was scrutinizing him, as if looking for something. He also couldn't figure out why all those ladies  
  
had been following him since he arrived in the town.  
  
p  
  
"It was snowing the night she left. Why Lina, did I do something wrong? Probably all those things I said." Gourry stared out the window, in the distance, he could see the silhouette of a little cottage in the far distance, although the snow made it hard to see, but he smiled all the same. This was the picture that was in all the cards you sent someone when they were homesick, Gourry knew, for he had had a messenger send a few to friends he met on the road before he met her, Lina. Where was she now? "Oh Lina, I just wanna take back all those things I said, guess you did take them seriously, but...I always thought you were stronger than that. Why did you need my approval, it's not like I meant anything. Ok, so maybe you're bust isn't THAT great, but it's just perfect for you. What did I miss? Why did you just leave, you're not that sensitive, I've been with you too long to be that stupid. Why didn't you talk to me? Maybe It's me, I didn't do a good enough job protecting you, or, did you really want me to leave when you said so?" Gourry held his head in his hands, "I've missed something and I regret being so dumb. I'm sorry Lina." p  
  
~*~ p  
  
Luna crouched by a door in the middle of the hall, listening to the man talking to himself, more like interrogating himself. She had found out much, one thing being that this man was tied to her sister, and that fate, or something stronger, had brought them to the same town, seeking the same thing; refuge from their conflicting emotions. Well, with Luna Inverse here, they'd find no solace until this was worked out. One thing not many knew of the Knight of Cephied, she liked to meddle, 'specially when it came to her sister. This was Lina's punishment for just getting up and leaving, that was how Luna justified herself. It was just not right for Lina to make this man suffer just for her pride, yes, Luna knew how her sister worked.  
  
p  
  
*And I give it all away  
  
Just to have somewhere  
  
To go to  
  
Give it all away  
  
To have someone  
  
To come home to*  
  
p  
  
Lina breathed on the window, tracing designs in the fog that appeared. She smiled, somewhere, in her empty mind, they looked like the after-effects of destructive spells she had learned. But learning those spells had had a consequence, she had cast one once, the fireball, before she had control over it completely and completely destroyed a section of her town. Before anyone could get a close look at who had done this, for she had done it at night, Little Lina ran, fast as she could away from the town, terrified what would become of her if Luna had found out.  
  
p  
  
Lina had never found out if they had discovered that it was her, but she presumed that they had, she was famous for destroying things, so it only fit. The people didn't seem mad, or at least hadn't looked it when they saw her returning to her house.  
  
p  
  
That time she ran away, she had met a little blonde boy on an estate open to the public of the town it was in, except for the mansion. She seemed so ecstatic to finally find a kid like her in this town instead of getting hassled by everyone else in this town. He seemed nice, something told her he was special. But instead, he was like every other little boy, afraid of her for her violent tendencies at times, so she was a little rough, was that any reason to treat her like a freak? Evidently so.  
  
p  
  
So, Lina decided to wander, becoming stronger, more powerful. That was her  
  
mission and she loved it, the freedom that came with it, it wasn't long before she turned on bandits, blowing them to bits and collecting money an rewards for their heads, this was what she loved, needed, and wanted, nothing else. In return, she got a reputation as the Dra-matta, the bandit killer, the Enemy of All Who Lived, the Lord of Nightmares' avatar. That was who she was, the most powerful sorceress in the universe.  
  
p  
  
But what she's never tell anyone, was that she'd give everything all away, for free even, to take away the barren-ness in her heart, the emptiness she carried with her. Even to come home to someone now, she'd give it all up, just to be held by someone and told that it's ok, all this loneliness will go away. But that wasn't soon in coming.  
  
p  
  
*This is my December  
  
These are my snow covered dreams  
  
This is me pretending  
  
This is all I need*  
  
p  
  
Gourry suddenly had a flashback, something he never thought he'd remember,  
  
and didn't quite understand why he did;  
  
p * p A young blonde of no more than seven stood behind a great mound of snow, occasionally peeking out to get hit in the face by flying snow, or sending some flying himself. All throughout the game with his friends, the boy laughed, making his father, who sat on the back porch of the great mansion the young boy and his family lived in, smiling. Gourry squealed with laughter as he beamed one of his friends with a snowball in the back of the head, sending them sprawling into the snow. Upon looking up, his friend squeaked and ran onto the porch, taking refuge next to Gourry's father, his other friends were to follow.  
  
p  
  
A bright red-headed girl trotted up behind Gourry and tapped him on the shoulder, "Hullo!" She smiled brightly when Gourry leapt into the air, spinning around, terror evident in his eyes.  
  
p  
  
"Um, hi." Gourry's father frowned at how his son regarded this little girl.  
  
p  
  
"I saw you guys playin and all an I wonnered if I could play with ya." She smiled again, "I can throw really good." In demonstration, she picked a ball of snow and made a show of aiming at one of the boy's snow forts. Finally throwing it, the ball connected with the fort and it crumbled. The girl beamed.  
  
p  
  
Finding a way out while she was distracted, Gourry ran for cover by his father and his friends. All the little boys on the porch scowled at him and urged him not to let her play, "She's a bully!" "Yeah, she way too strong." "And worst of all, she's a GIRL!" Gourry's father decided to sit back and wait for his son to make his decision, deciding that something would come out of either one he made.  
  
p  
  
The little girl looked back to find no one there, "Hey, where'd ya go?" Finally, she spied them on the porch and waved, they all shuddered.  
  
p  
  
Gourry steeled himself and strode up to her, "Sorry, we um, don't let girls in this place."  
  
p  
  
The little redhead straightened, her ruby eyes tearing up slightly. She turned away from Gourry, and instantly he felt bad for her. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know, guess I'll leave you alone then." And solemnly, she walked away.  
  
p  
  
Truth be told, Gourry didn't want her to leave, he was fascinated by her. He had seen her in this town before, being harassed by a bunch of drunks, putting up with rude women, and turning down any offer of pity. Honestly, he was sort of honored that she asked him to play, she was such a strong little girl, he thought she'd be hanging out at the bars with the older people, she seemed to belong there, but no, she'd asked HIM to play, like an equal, and he'd treated her like all the other people. But Gourry HAD to pretend not to like her, because that was just the way boys were, wasn't it?  
  
p  
  
*And I  
  
Just wish that  
  
I didn't feel  
  
Like there was  
  
Something I missed  
  
And I  
  
Take back all  
  
The things I said  
  
To make you feel like that  
  
And I  
  
Just wish that  
  
I didn't feel  
  
Like there was  
  
Something I missed  
  
And I  
  
Take back all the things  
  
I said to you*  
  
p  
  
Later that night, Gourry had plenty of time to feel much worse, to find that that's not how he was supposed to act. Walking in from a long day of dodging his father's disappointed glare and snowballs, he walked into the large dining hall and sat at the table, all washed up and starving. Unfortunately, his mother and his sisters, the cooks had the holiday week off, served everyone but him. When inquired, they simply turned up their noses and said, "Sorry, but we don't serve dishonest, rude little boys here, and that's the truth!" Gourry gasped and turned to his father, who only nodded disapprovingly at him. Sulking, he slumped upstairs and into his room where he threw himself on the bed and cried. Gourry never lied or turned away anyone just because they were a girl again, although after that, much to his dismay, that little girl never came back around.  
  
p  
  
* p Gourry's eyes went wide, he never did ask that girl her name, but he knew who it was, the one who's name he'd never forget, no matter if he lived forever never seeing her, it was emblazoned on his memory, "Lina...I, I'm sorry."  
  
p  
  
*And I give it all away  
  
Just to have  
  
Somewhere to go to*  
  
p  
  
Gourry held his head in his hands, "Gah, Lina, why, why'd ya leave? I feel so lost now, more so than usual! How could my life revolve so much around a short tempered, violent little girl like you?? I have nowhere to go."  
  
p  
  
*Give it all away  
  
To have someone  
  
To come home to*  
  
p  
  
Tears fell from Lina's eyes and she bounded outside and fell into the snow, "Nobody, not even Luna's here to punish me for just running away with no word to anyone. Cummon Lina, this isn't you, crying and all, pull it together!" But the talk did nothing for her, she sat up in the cold snow and let the icy tears fall like December rain from her eyes. She felt like such a brat, crying just because no one was here for her, but she couldn't help herself.  
  
p  
  
*This is my December  
  
This is my time of the year  
  
This is my December  
  
This is all so clear*  
  
p  
  
It didn't take long for the two traveling companions to find that they needed each other. While Gourry pondered why she left, Lina laughed cruelly at herself, wondering the same thing.  
  
p  
  
*And I give it all away  
  
Just to have somewhere  
  
To go to*  
  
p  
  
Luna burst through the door and shoved the big blonde out the door and down the stairs without saying a word. Gourry was very confused, but didn't fight back, something about this woman seemed very familiar, and Gourry often followed his instincts rather than his intellect.  
  
p  
  
Gourry smiled later, as he was pointed in the direction of the cottage he saw earlier and as Luna whispered something in his ear. Slowly, working out his plan, he began walking through the, now deep, snow.  
  
p  
  
*Give it all away  
  
To have someone  
  
To come home to*  
  
p  
  
Lina sighed as she made a small snowman and proceeded to make snow angels, reveling in the feeling of being a little child again. Suddenly, she was pegged from behind by a speeding snowball, sending her, rather ungracefully, face-first into the snow. From behind, she heard a giggle. Growling she made plans to maul the little brat who dared hit her with anything  
  
p  
  
"Sorry, but we don't let girls just sit and pout, they're not supposed 'ta."  
  
Lina stood up, recognizing the voice. Inside, her heart leapt, hopes soaring to new heights, but her head had one hope, he had a good reason for doing what he did. "And why not pray tell." Gourry looked at her back completely lost, his plan completely forgotten long before, in a classic naivete, he stated, "Why, if a pretty girl were sad, then all that would fall would be snow, the sun wouldn't shine very bright at all."  
  
p  
  
"What're you talkin about jellyfish?"  
  
p  
  
Gourry tapped his chin in thought, "Well, someone told me it snows when a pretty girl is sad. She makes the earth as barren as her heart. The sun shines brightly and rain waters the crops when she's happy."  
  
p  
  
"Are you trying to say I'm pretty?" Lina turned toward him, her bangs shadowing the tears threatening to cascade from her eyes.  
  
p  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." Gourry smiled, and before she knew what she was doing, Lina ran into his arms. Caught by her momentum, Gourry lifted her up in the air and spun her around.  
  
p  
  
"Lina, I don't want to feel like I missed anything, tell me I didn't, please."  
  
p  
  
"No, I'm sorry, I don't know. This is going to sound so stupid, but I don't want to be left alone, please, don't leave me." Tears flooded from her eyes as Lina finally let everything out. 'Maybe this is what I wanted, to just be sure he'd come after me. Well, whatever, I'm just glad he did.'  
  
p  
  
Gourry held her close, reassuring her that nothing would change, that they'd always be together, and that he loved her. She pulled away to look into his eyes and confirm what he said. At once, they leaned into each other and embraced in a long, loving kiss.  
  
p ~*~ p Suddenly, a snowball came flying at them, breaking them apart instantly. Lina reeled on the person, growling and promising a slow, and painful death. However, that all changed when she heard the voice;  
  
p  
  
"Lina Inverse, prepare for the worst week of your life! How dare you leave for years at a time, letting this town to your destruction and you don't even write!"  
  
p  
  
Lina paled, "Oh crap..."  
  
p  
  
**disclaimer~don't own My December by Linkin Park, and don't own Slayers,  
  
at all, zilch, zip, nada, nope, NONE!**  
  
p  
  
a/n: fluffy, like a new pillow, I like new pillows. sweet, like candy, I like candy. hope you like it, i'm still workin on my others, but for right now, I needed to write something fluffy and this song just made me think of lina and gourry and such. reviews are always welcome. ja! 


End file.
